Conservative Political Thought

PS 410/510
SPRING 2017
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, 2:00 TO 3:30PM

PROFESSOR BRUCE GILLEY

Updated 3 April 2017

Conservatism is an approach to political life that emphasizes prudence, tradition, and

incremental change. For that reason, it is sometimes described as a practice of politics without
a theory. Yet there is a large body of normative and analytical political theory in the
conservative tradition. This course will introduce students to both classical and contemporary
works of conservative political thought. The purpose is to consider the main theories of
conservatism and how they have been applied to political practice. An emphasis will be placed
on understanding the internal logic and the different strands of conservative political thought
and the ways that it has responded to contemporary challenges.

Participation and Attendance

Students will be graded 10% for attendance and participation.

Course Requirements: Reading Presentations

All students will present readings from the class 2 times during the quarter. Each presentation
is worth 10% (total 20%).

Course Requirements: Undergraduates

Undergraduates will write 4 reading reviews and responses of 5 pages each. These are due in
weeks 3, 6, 8 and finals week (total 70%).

Course Requirements: Graduates

Graduate students will write 4 review essays of 8-10 pages each covering parts 1, 2, and 3 (2
essays) of the course due in weeks 3, 6, 8, and finals week (total 70%).

PART I: OVERVIEWS

Week 1: Early Overviews

 Bernard Kronick, “Conservatism: A Definition”, Southwestern Social Science Quarterly (1947)
 Michael Oakeshott, “On Being Conservative” in Rationalism in Politics (1956)

Week 2: Recent Overviews

 Anthony O’ Hear, “Conservatism” in Oxford Companion to Philosophy (2005)
 Lincoln Allison, “Conservatism” in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics (2009)
 Mark Garnett, “Conservatism” in Sage Encyclopedia of Political Theory (2010)
 Arthur Aughey, "Conservatism" in New Dictionary of the History of Ideas (2005)
 John Kekes, “Conservatism” in Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2007)
 Jan-Werner Müller, “Comprehending Conservatism”, Journal of Political Ideologies (2006)

PART II: BURKE

Week 3
 Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) (Oxford World Classics
edition), pp.3-80 (up to “Why do I feel so differently from the Reverend Dr. Price…”)

Week 4
 Burke, Reflections, pp. 80-164 (up to “This letter is grown to a great length…”)

Week 5:
 Burke, Reflections, pp. 164-292.

PART III: CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES

Week 6: European Conservatism

 Leo Strauss, “Natural Right and the Historical Approach”, Review of Politics (1950)
 Friedrich Hayek, “Why I am Not a Conservative” in The Constitution of Liberty (1960)
 Hannah Arendt, “What is Authority?” in Between Past and Future (1961)

Week 7: British Conservatism

 Roger Scruton, “The Conservative Attitude” in The Meaning of Conservatism, pp. 15-26
(1980)
 John Kekes, “What is Conservatism?”, Philosophy (1997)
 Margaret Thatcher, “The Value of American Studies”, Society (1997)

Week 8: American Conservatism

 Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind, pp. 457-490 (1953)
 Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind, pp. 25-43 (1987)
 Robert Nozick, Anarchy, State, and Utopia, pp. 149-182 (1974)

Week 9: Black Conservatism

 Shelby Steele, “How Liberals Debase Black Achievement,” Policy Review (1998)
 John McWhorter, Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America, pp. 212-262 (2000)
 Thomas Sowell, “A World View of Cultural Diversity” (1991)
 Glenn Loury, “Individualism before Multiculturalism”, Public Interest (1995)
 Jason Riley, Please Stop Helping Us: How Liberals Make It Harder for Blacks to Succeed, pp. 1-5,
35-58, 169-74 (2014)

Week 10: Conservatism and Public Policy

 Geoffrey Brennan and Alan Hamlin, “Analytic Conservatism”, British Journal of Political
Science (2004)
 Matt Delisi, “Conservatism And Common Sense: The Criminological Career Of James Q.
Wilson”, Justice Quarterly (2003)
 Richard Kelly and Robert Crowcroft, “From Burke to Burkha: Conservatism,
Multiculturalism and the Big Society”, Political Quarterly (2011)
 Steven Hayward, “Conservatism and Climate Science”, Issues in Science & Technology (2014)
 Patrick Garry, “Conservatism and the Real Problems Of Income Inequality”, Modern Age
(2016)